Well elevator



Aug. 16, 1932. .1. GRANT 1,871,845

WELL ELEVATOR Original Filed Jan. 11, 1923 2 Sheets-Shet l Aug. 16, 1932. .J. GRANT- 1,871,845

WELL ELEVATOR Original Filed Jan. 11, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwmmw cfozf zfz 6 7K222?) Patented Aug. 16, 1932 unrrsn STATES.

PATENT OFFICE JOHN GRANT, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNO R TC BYRON JACKSON CO., LOS ANGIE-LES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE WELL nLEvA'ron Original application filed January 11, 1923, Serial No. 611,978. Renewed July 17, 1926. Divided and this application filed October 7, 1930. Serial No. 485,951.

This is a division of'my Patent No. 1,781,-

922, issued November 18, 1930, and relatesprovision of an elevator which will positively.

indicate if work to be carried by said elevator is not securely held .within the elevator.

. The invention has for further objects the provision of a well elevator which is novel in construction, has few working parts, is positive in its operation, and fool-proof as to operation.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the provision, construction and arrangement of various parts,

members and features, all as shown in the drawings, described generally, and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of one form of the well elevator Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of the well elevator shown in Figure 1, certam parts being 1n section to show the construction thereof, and with the tubing removed from between the of the elevator.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, certain parts being in section, of a slightly modified gate and the body form of well elevator and showing the latch mechanism inoperative.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary viewoof the well elevator shown in Figure 3, the latch mechanism being shown in part in dotted lines to 'ishow the locking of the gate to the body of the elevator.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary edge View of the elevator shown in Figure 4, and taken on the line 55 of Figure l, and looking in the direction of the appended arrows. V

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view upon an enlarged scale of the mechanism shown in Figures 3 and l for locking the latch mechanism' closed.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of which a is the body and b the gate. Thebody,-as is customary, is curvedly recessed as at 1 and the gate is likewise slightly concave as shown at 2, with the gate hingedly connected as at?) to the body, said gate and body within the curved portion being adapted to confine work such as tubing, casing or rods, as shown at 0 in Figure 1. The body in the embodiment shown is provided with diametrically opposed spaced arms 4, 5, 6 and 7, and the suspension'means or bails d are associated with the arms 4' and 5, as shown at 8 and 9. Ordinarily the well elevator A might be de scribed by saying that the same comprises two wings or jaws which are adapted to latch around said casing, tubing or rods with the bails fitting over the casing hooks. One feature of the present invention resides'in the method by which the bail d is retained upon and held to the body of the well elevator. If the arms 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 are left spaced apart the suspension means or bail might slip from said arms with disastrous results. I therefore preferably provide a movably .mounted means 0 which is adapted to close the gap that exists between each pair "of spaced arms. The means 6 is not illustrated and described in detail herein as it is fully described and claimed in the abovementioned copendrelation. The means f is so constructed and operates in such a manner as to kick the gate open providing the gate is not securely latched to the elevator body. It frequently occurs when operating well elevators that the gate is not locked to the body with the result that upon hoisting the gate swings open suddenly'dropping the casing or tubing, causing disastrous results either to the operator or to the derrick floor. ent to so arrange and relatively associate the moving members which comprise the'gate and body, that an imnroper latching of said members will result in the gate immediatelyv being thrown open so that no mistake as to the latching may be made on the part ofthe operator.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the means f comprises a pivoted latch member'22 which is associated with an enlargementup on the body a and within a recess in said-enlargement and constitutes an abutment on the body at one side ofandadjacent the mouth of the casing receiving recess 1 of the body.

The pivot point isshownat 231and a-stop pin at 24 for limiting movement of the latch 22 in= one direction. The--latch22 is provided with a curvedportion' 25,- and a spring 26 within the recess of the'enlargement is adapt-- latch. 22 from the locking engagement with the nose 28 means 29 are provided, said means being oined with the latch 22. An outward pull upon the means 29 "will swing the latch V inwardly against the spring 26 so that the nose :28 may be released from the latch. The gate 1) may then be swung'open by pulli-n (7' v n o c upon .ahandle 30' associated therewith.

Assume now that 1t 1s desired to use the elevator A to carry the casing c. The elevator is brought into position so that the casing 0 is received within the body a. at the part 11 and the gate is swung inwardly to lbckthe casing or work within'the body. The gate, however, unless it is properly latched, will be swung open in the construction shown, for

the following reasons: The nose 28 is curved as shown at 31 and this curved portion w1ll engage a marginal port-ion as 32 of the latch 22; The latch 22 at all times isurged to the limit of its movement by the sln'ilboigs7 a swinging of the gate inwardly will cause thecurved portion 31 of the nose 28 to slide along the marginal portion 32. If the tip of the nose 28 reaches a point where it would contactwith the curved portion 25 0f the It has been found expedilatch 22 the latch will immediately be thrown into such a position as to engage the nose and lock the gate to the body. It will be obvious that the latch member will at all times contact withthe :curved portion 31 of the nose and kick or swingthe gate about its pivot point 3 to an open position.

The elevatorshown in Figures 3 to 8, inclusive, does not differ essentially in principle from theelevator shown in Figures land 2, inclusive, although certain features are incorporated in a slightly different manner for eifecting the locking operation. The elevator shown. in Figures 3 to 8, inclusive, 1s desig nated as an entirety by B, the body by h and the :gate by j; and .the. latch mechanism as an entirety .by 70. The body, as in the case of the elevator A is recessedas shown .at 37 and the gate 7' is slightly recessed in part as shown at-38to cooperate with the recessed portion 37so=that the :gate and the body may confine work when theugate is closed. The gate :j is pivotally. carriedupon the body by suitable means such-as shown at 39. The usualextension arms: areassociated withthe body it and may be of a form such as shown for the elevator A, the bail beingomitted for purposes otclearness. The body it is recessed as shownzby thesdotted lines at 40 and the gate member 7' has-its normal free end41 receivable withinzsaid recess when the gate is closed. Theg-ate carriespart of the latch mechanismgthat is to say, the member 42.

pReferenceto :Figure 5shows thatthe gate 7' is furcated asshown at 43 withthe latch 42 pivotallycarriedasshown at 44 between said furcations 43. Said latch 42 is curved along itsfree marginal portion 45 and likewise provided with anarm' 46', there being a spring 47 bearingagainst said arm and having a portion thereotconfined within a recess or bore in the gate, as shown; at' 48. To limit the inward movement or pivotal movement of the latch 42 under pressure exerted by thespring, thergate is provided with a slight extension 49 carrying apin 50 adapted to'contact'with' the arm 46. The recess 40 within the body it has 'an abutment portion 51- curved to correspond to the curve 45 of the latch so that when the latch-swings outwardly and under I urgency'of the spring, the gate being closed, the curved portion of said latch will slide along the correspondingly curved portion 51 of the body h, as il-lustr-ated in Fi ure 4, and

The top portion of the member 52 carries an eye 58, there being a sleeve member 59 confined and carried within said eye and a yoke member 60 joined to said sleeve member as by means of apin 61 oined with the yoke and passed through said sleeve as indicated in Figure 7 in dotted lines. The yoke 66 carries a projecting arm or handle 62. Two positions of the yoke and arm are illustrated in Figures 3, t and 6, and it will be observed that the yoke in Fi ure 6 may be dropped so as to receive within said yoke the projection or stud 54, when the yoke is turned sufficiently so the arm or projecting member 55 will permit the latch 42 to be entirely received within the recess lO. This of course will allow for locking relation between the gate and body, and likewise ensure that the gate will not be freed from the body unless the yoke member is lifted by its handle 62 to such a position that the yoke may be swung to the left which will move the member 55 so that the same may engage a portion of the latch 42 and force it against the spring in order to free the latch from the body,all as illustrated in Figure 3.

In Figure 4, it will be observed that the recess a6 is likewise provided with a stepped recess 63 which may receive the member 55.

The operation of the elevator B is very similar to that of the elevator shown in Figures 1 and 2, in that unless the gate and body are properly latched the tendency will be to swing the gate free from the body,-for the latch contacting with the body will tend to swing the gatefrom the body due to the pressure exerted by the spring 47 against the arm 46 of the latch. Furthermore, the latch has a certain leverage to effect this opening relation, due to the placement of the hinge point of the body and gate.

As an added precaution, it may be desirable, in certain instances, to provide an arrangement substantially as shown in Figure 8, and wherein the gate as in Figures 3 to 7 is received between two furcations 64: and 65 with the hinge connection which constitutes a pin 39 having a surrounding coil spring 66, one end of which is attached to the pin as at 67 and the other end of which is associated as shown at 68 with the gate, the gate to this end being bored slightly larger than the diameter of the pin and the thickness of the spring. The spring is so arranged that the closing of the gate is resisted, the closing tending to tighten the spring, with the consequence that the gate is at all times swung open unless it is properly latched. As before, the gate may be provided with the usual hand grasp 69 for swinging the gate open or shutting the gate.

It is believed that the operation of this device is entirely clear from the description, and that no further details are necessary.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications'and variations may be made in de parturefrom the foregoing description and disclosure, withoutdeparting from the true spirit of the invention.

Iclaim'r 5 :1; A device of the character disclosed com v prising a body having acasing receiving recess,.-a gate pivoted to the body, and a latch pivoted in the body adjacent the mouth of the casing receiving recess,;a.spring forforcing said latch in a direction substantially tangentialto the path of the gate and oppositethe direction of, closing movement of the.

formed in the body at the opposite side of said recess, a latch pivoted in saidchamber, and a stop for one side of the latch, a spring for pressing said latch toward said stop, a

nose onthe free end of the gate for engaging.

with one side of said latch when partially closed and adapted to engage another side of said latchwhen the gate is fully closed.

A device of the character disclosed, comprising connected and relatively movable members adapted to embrace work, andlockin g means for said members comprising-anose upon one of said members and a movably mounted latch upon the other of said members and'adapted to cooperate with saidnose to maintain a locked relation; between. said members; means being provided for disengaging said latch and nose to permit relative movement of said members; said last named means comprising a rotatable member having a part adapted to actuate the latch, and means for releasably locking said rotatable member.

4:. A device of the character disclosed, comprising connected and relatively movable members adapted to embrace work, and lockin g means for said members comprising a nose upon one of said members and a movably mounted latch upon the other of said members and adapted to cooperate with said nose to maintain a locked relation between said members; means being provided for disengaging said latch and nose to permit relative movement of said members; said last named means comprising a rotatable member having a part adapted to actuate the latch, and means for releasably locking said rotatable memher; said last named means comprising a link pivoted to said rotatable member, and a proj ection upon one of said first named members adapted to receive said link. 7

5. A device of the character disclosed including a body havinga casing receiving recess, a gate adapted to be swung across said recess, a gate holding abutment on the body on one side of and adjacent the mouth of said sov recess, and means associated with said abutment for releasing. the'gate.

6.. A device'ofthe character disclosed including a body having acasing receiving recess, a gate adapted to be swung across said recess, agate holding abutment on the body on one side of and adjacent the mouth of said recess,;and manually operable means associated with said abutment for releasing the gate.

71A device'of the character disclosed in-- cluding a body having a casing receiving recess, a gate adapted to be swung across said recess, a movable gate holding abutment on the bodyat one side of and adjacent the mouth of the casing receiving recess, and means associated with said" abutment for releasing the gate.

8.'An elevator comprising two members hingedly secured together at one end, said members forming a pipe engaging recess therebetween, a latch pivoted to one of said members at its free end and a stop for one sideof the latch, a spring for pressingsaid latch toward'said stop, a nose on the free end of the other member for engaging With one side of said latch and tending to move saidlatch in a direction resisted by said spring when the latch is in partiallyclosed position, and adapted to engage another side of-said latch when the gate is fully closed, said latch being so positioned relative to said nose that pressure exerted on said other side of said latch by said nose tends to move the latch against saidstop.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 1st day of October, 1930.

' JOHN GRANT. 

